I Know That Jerk!
By Barry Ritholtz - May 15th, 2010, 10:00AM
Hey buddy, you’re an asshole, not a genius:
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Please use the comments to demonstrate your own ignorance, unfamiliarity with empirical data, ability to repeat discredited memes, and lack of respect for scientific knowledge. Also, be sure to create straw men and argue against things I have neither said nor even implied. Any irrelevancies you can mention will also be appreciated. Lastly, kindly forgo all civility in your discourse . . . you are, after all, anonymous.
May 15th, 2010 at 11:49 am
And people wonder why “knuckledraggers” drive scummy old work trucks instead of more practical economy vehicles.
Sometimes – the other drivers cheer.
Your momma always told you about people who would kick your ass when you cut in line……
May 15th, 2010 at 12:04 pm
There always is one ;)
May 15th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
I think the vulgarity says a lot more about Barry and society, their assumptions and their lack of true moral courage, than the person in the car trying to “cut”…..
But then again who am I to judge the assumptions of other? Or worse yet, their ability to truly man up in the real world as opposed to silently scream via a blog post at those awful people who dare cut in line. Heck, those cutters might actually have a very very important reason to need to get over….
Nahhhh. Whiny posts like this are really what the “The Big Picture” is really all about.
HCSKnight
P.S. right Barry ;)
~~~
BR: Foul mouthed? Fuck you . . .
May 15th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Sometimes people space out or don’t know where they are going (speaking from personal experience). I don’t think we can quantify how many are intentional assholes.
May 15th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
“Sometimes people space out or don’t know where they are going (speaking from personal experience). I don’t think we can quantify how many are intentional assholes.”
+1 Agreed: But go around the fucking block or get a GPS, don’t dick up everyones day because you had a dickweed moment.
May 15th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
I don’t drive often into New York, but there are a few spots on I-95 where if motorist did not use the left lane we would be spending an extra half hour trying tofinally negotiate those exits.
Zippy drivers however, are a nuisance and cause their fair share of accidents.
May 15th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
Forgot where I heard this — but someone suggested that all drivers carry a kind of dart-gun device, that will fire a flag type projectile that will stick on the jerk’s car. That way, when you see one with dozens of the flag thingies stuck to it, you know to avoid said jerk…
May 15th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Davos,
Because it really wrecks your entire day to pause for 3 seconds to let an out-of-towner in…
But yeah, I hate those people too. But I do try to maintain perspective!
May 15th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
I do not allow those people to weave into the traffic flow.
May 15th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
I think most experienced drivers can tell when someone is lost or having trouble merging from the intentional assholes on the road.
I go out of my way to rack up Karmic points when I drive the Wagon, storing them up when I drive the 6 speed . . .
May 15th, 2010 at 8:05 pm
“Sticks and stones may break my bones…”
Smoke a doobie HSCKnight.
May 15th, 2010 at 8:52 pm
I noticed a lot less of this kind of driving when I came to Houston. Drivers are a lot more courteous here. It took awhile to get used to people slowing down to let me in when I put on my blinker instead of speeding up to make sure I can’t get in front of them.
Back in NOLa, my daughter’s theory is not to use a turn signal because it just gives away your intentions so they can thwart you.
May 15th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
I was going to run for the Governor of Massachusetts with a very simple platform-
No speed limit, but heavy penalties for all of the below
a) Being in the left hand lane and not passing- 3 years in drivers ed.
b) Left hand turn into right hand lane- Jail time. Same with right hand turn into left hand lane.
c) Failure to use turn signals- 2 years hard labor.
The insurance lobby ganged up on me and chased me out.
May 15th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
I presume this pertains to every big freeway/city routes. I agree with Berry for the simple reason that 99 & 44/100% of the cut-ins, are gaming the road. I realize that there are times that when people are in the right hand lane, the line can back up quite a distance, especially during commute hours. Any person who travels the same route daily, knows the drill. Perhaps it’s time that one of the science guys cut loose with one of their toys, I.E.: the dimension changer, which would put the intruder on the way to Cairo, Egypt, instead of work. Guaranteed to change the rascals driving habits.
May 15th, 2010 at 10:49 pm
So everyone has somewhere to go, and usually in a specific time frame– then someone pulls this stunt and then another, and another, until you have a massive log jam in front of you. Next day SOS, and different people.
The best way to handle stress– take another route, if you can, that you know is not going to have a log jam.
It’s elementary Watson! Avoid the aggravation.
Although I believe a good cuss is at times good for the soul too.
May 15th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
Re: “BR: Foul mouthed? Fuck you . . . ”
Oh Barry, LOL. Q.E.D. … I do remember something said by someone about the content of one’s character. Hmmm?
I have not forgotten the CRA post, and will get back to her. It is funny how you look for data to prove something in a Dismal Science that by its nature can prove nothing …. maybe that’s why it contains nothing but theories… but more of that later in the CRA thread.
Btw, nice job picking and choosing the posts to play to the children… all class kid, all class.
Knight
May 15th, 2010 at 10:56 pm
Love the 48 Hours reference . . .
May 15th, 2010 at 10:59 pm
HCSKnight, we all know an asshole when we see one.
May 16th, 2010 at 8:36 am
my beef .. probably 7 outta them 13 cars are going to a paperpushing job that could be done from home on the internet .. but but that would kill the economy .. no one would need to shower & shave, put anti-persperant on, don a suit and tie, burn up gas and tires hitting potholes, minutes more minutes on cell phones chatting the hours away listening to drive time radio … the other 5 cars are going off to work to build (clean) the skyscrappers that the 7 cars of people hope to arrive sooner than later to
May 16th, 2010 at 8:43 am
hehehe not adding well this morn .. 7+5=12 .. not sure what the loner is doing in the city today (-:
May 16th, 2010 at 9:29 am
Mark’s got it right. The driver in the wrong lane is supposed to sit there until the traffic clears in the right lane. No one should let them in until the line clears in the right lane. The only problem with that is if someone who wants to go straight gets blocked behind them.
Even better in this case, if the person is an out of towner, there’s no one behind them, so they should back up until they get to the end of the line and move into that spot. No cop’s going to write them a ticket for carefully backing up into the lane they were supposed to be in.
The problem is that most of the people who do this are just opportunists, and some dork in the right lane will actually let them in. Moral hazard writ small.
May 16th, 2010 at 9:50 am
Everybody that drives faster than you is an asshole.
Everybody that drives slower than you is a moron.
- George Carlin
May 16th, 2010 at 10:33 am
“Mark’s got it right. The driver in the wrong lane is supposed to sit there until the traffic clears in the right lane. No one should let them in until the line clears in the right lane. The only problem with that is if someone who wants to go straight gets blocked behind them.”
Great…. two people who dont know what is illegal. I wonder if they are the type of drivers to leave a 3-4 car length space between their car and the car in front of them.
Seriously, Barry usually has very good posts. But this one is is not only a disgrace upon Barry – showing how he lets his emotions effect his judgment – and quite an insight to some of the board followers.
Really, arent there more pressing things out there? More relevant to the economic and market conditions?
It says a lot about people who complain, but dont have the backbone to stand up for their rights – DONT LET THE CAR IN. And if another car let the offender in, why are you not pissed off at that driver?
Maybe Barry is a genius? Maybe this is one of those tricks of the wise where much is to be learned about the masses and crowd psychology….and that was the true reason for Barry’s post?….
Got to run, Mass calls.
Knight
…note to self, remember not to cut any slow cattle off or pass on the right
May 16th, 2010 at 11:42 am
Oh, I get it, the car on the left is a scalper!
May 16th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
I do get more angry at the person who lets them in than the person who cuts. I expect evil people to do evil. That’s why they are evil (and it is evil because it disrupts traffic and creates stress). I don’t expect the good ones to enable. Those people should at least have to sit there for five minutes in order to pay for their attitude.
You guys may not notice it in your area because of so many high end cars but up here it is almost always the high end cars that do it. Probably 80% of the time. I’m thinking these folks are incredibly spoiled or are alpha male types that always push to get their way. If you ever see these folks a few seconds after they’ve done it they usually have a look of satisfaction, triumph or laughter on their face. Moreso if someone is riding with them
I’ve been tempted to follow one of these people to work one day just to see what type of job they have. I’ll bet it is the subprime mortgage broker type job when they spend all day scamming little old ladies out of their pension check. That is just a hunch.
Thanks for the opportunity to vent Barry. It was cathartic
May 16th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
The problem is in real life that one car is really 3 and it holds up the whole left lane. I normally don’t do this type of driving unless I’m new to the area, my GPS surprised me with last minute notice or the lane is badly marked.
In a contruction zone when the lane is ending, well that’s fair game. Anyone who travels a lot knows that when a lane is ending you go all the way to the end where it merges because if you don’t you’ll be waiting that much longer while everyone lets everyone else in.
May 16th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
Oh, this is about driving? I thought it was about Immigration.
May 16th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
“HCSKnight Says:”
Finally identified that feeling I get from running into your posts….
Same as when I step in dogshit because some thoughtless fool can’t clean up after their hobby.
Must be nice to be special all the time. Bet you started early. Your wife like that smell?